∼ Day 11 ∼

I made my way back to the hut.

Inside, I found Bob who had already fallen asleep yet again, his loud snoring a likely indication to it. Tapping him lightly in the side with my foot, I get him to wake up so he could get to properly explore the tribe before he slept the whole day away. But it was mostly so the tribe could slowly accept his newly gained authority over them. Also, he could report any interesting back to me if he found something.

Now with the hut all to myself, I ready myself for something I've been putting off for way too long. First of all, I need to advance dash, and after that, I have to see what I can actually do with my blood magic which is something I haven't done in a while.

-Skill advancement, Dash!-

Skill advancement - Dash Choose one advancement -Greater Dash- Consumes stamina to dash short distances. Greatly increased effectiveness and distance. -Blurred Dash- Consumes stamina to dash short distances. When dashing your form will be slightly more obscured, making others unable to easily detect your dash or location. -Muffled Dash- Consumes stamina to dash short distances. When dashing the sound produced will be reduced, making others unable to easily detect your dash or location. -Blink- Consumes stamina to dash short distances. Can use mana to distort the natural energy of the world, gaining increased speed and distance.

While dash is seemingly a very ordinary skill, it's actually extremely powerful. It basically allows me to dodge dangerous attacks, easily take others off-guard, and not to mention the momentum can even be used to enhance my deadly attacks. It's an invaluable skill.

The "skills" of this world are a weird phenomenon. It seems that they can only be granted when you evolve or experience some good fortune like a title. For humans, I would guess that they get skills from their jobs when they advance. So skills shouldn't actually be something that you can learn by just trying, the fact that I have this skill shop that gives me access to a limited number of skills of my own choosing is literally a precious boon for me. Having all these skills, are making me innately powerful, with just them alone.

Enough of that, let's get on with the advancement. Now, of course, the greater version of the skill is usually never a bad choice, as it intrinsically just makes the skill more powerful.

For the two advancements, blurred dash and muffled dash, they seem very decent. But to me, they're not as enticing. I'm already able to easily mask my presence, making them somewhat obsolete.

Lastly is blink. Now this one is what really has caught my attention. I've already had skill advancements the required to use of mana up for picking before, and now I actually have mana to support the decision. Not to mention, this advancement seems like I can even begin to use dash as a method of traveling. Or that is if the cost-effectiveness of the mana and stamina is good. But this one seems to be the definite winner out of the four.

-Blink!-

[Skill - Dash has been advanced to Blink!]

[For advancing a skill you receive 2 skill points!]

I finally have 10 skill points again. But before I use them, I want to see what I can figure out about my magic. Essentially the only skills that are calling out to me right now are the magic-based ones. But I need more information on magic before I just pick one.

Making myself comfortable, I center my mind and try to tap into anything instinctual about my magic that may be laying within my mind. It takes me a while, but I managed to tap into something about my mana control skill. In my mind had appeared a very vague symbol of sorts, or should I call it a glyph?

The glyph was very complex and intricate. While I had no idea what it was or what it was for, I knew it must be an important factor if I wanted to practice actual magic. Blood shaping is essentially magic but it's only a skill that allows me to instinctively use a specific kind of magic, foregoing most of the trouble of practicing magic.

Studying the complex image of the glyph in my mind's eye, I manage to glean some of its secrets. While I'm not entirely sure how I knew it but the more I inspected it, the more I could tell that this glyph was like a foundation of sorts. Moving on, I try to see if I can find any other glyphs.

Diving even deeper into my mind, I begin to see strange red glyphs. While the complex glyph was radiating a feeling of a cold and calm stream of energy, the feeling I usually associate with raw mana, the feeling I was getting from these glyphs were like torrents of unending life and chaos.

These glyphs must be from my blood magic skill while the first one I found was from my mana control skill. I take a while just looking on in astonishment at these seemingly insubstantial but extremely powerful symbols of magic. In all, there were three glyphs. Each different but vastly more simple and basic in nature compared to the complex one of the mana control skill.

Although you would guess that they were weaker because of their simplicity, to the contrary, they actually seem that the more basic they were, the more intrinsically powerful they felt. I spend a good amount of time, picturing and probing each glyph but to no avail. Although I've spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out what they meant and what they were used for, I simply couldn't figure it out.

But suddenly an idea strikes me in the noggin. Picturing the first complex glyph, I inspect it once again. Tentatively, I try to simultaneously picture one of the powerful glyphs. Barely managing to do that, I discover that my idea bore fruit!

Both of the glyphs merged with each other perfectly, or rather the powerful glyph settled itself onto the complex glyph. Everything clicking into place, I realize what it must mean. If I'm correct, then the complex glyph originating from the mana control skill is like a foundation of sorts. And its purpose is a specific function, that of controlling, manipulating, and altering mana.

If that logic follows, then the other glyphs must also have some purpose. So I decided to name the complex glyph, the foundation glyph.

Now, how the hell do I figure out what the other glyphs do? While with a good amount of effort, I can picture the foundation glyph and one more glyph together, that's about the extent of my ability. Not only to mention that I've only done so mentally. I've yet to actually do anything physical. For all this time I've only done so while residing within my mind.

Not finding any process in the mental realm, I give up on trying to picture three glyphs simultaneously, as two is my limit right now. Retreating back to my physical body back in the hut, I hold out my open palm facing upwards. Straining my mind, I try and conjure mana forth. Unlike when I use blood shaping, this time I can visibly see a few of my veins or rather crimson mana veins, starting to light up slowly as if red energy was pulsing through them.

Running from my core and into my hand, a thin red mist glows faintly as it rises from my palm. Seeing that it slowly disperses out into the air, I try to use my mental faculties to contain it. But it's definitely a lot harder to control my mana outside my body, than when it's inside. Although it's still slightly dispersing, I manage to slow the process if I focus.

Now with my mana flowing out from my palm, I begin to see if I can manipulate it. This process is even more strenuous than just slowing the dispersion but I manage to make the mana follow my command to a certain extend. Steeling myself mentally, I try to slowly form the foundation glyph as it is in my mind.

Continuing for a while, I manage to barely construct the glyph with my mana. But it's outlines are vague, blurry, and mostly misshapen but I did manage to physically form the glyph. Just doing that little work had drained half my entire mana pool, and left my dizzy from not only the mana drainage but also the mental exercise I had to perform.

I don't know how long I spent, but I kept draining my mana pool and then resting only to repeat, as I practiced constructing the foundation glyph. Before long I had a reasonable result of my work floating above my hand. I managed to form a pretty decent glyph this time. Each time I formed one, it became easier and more well pronounced than the last.

Satisfied with that, I let the mana forming the glyph disperse into the air. Now I wanted to try one of the blood magic glyphs.